How to Mention Relevant Coursework in a Resume

Two Parts:Identifying Your Relevant Course WorkAdding Relevant Coursework to Your ResumeCommunity Q&A

Crafting a resume is not an easy endeavor. The process becomes even more daunting when it comes to adding relevant coursework to your resume, which is particularly important if you are a recent graduate and have no work experience. You may be wonder: where should my coursework be listed? Should I list all of my courses or specific courses? Do I need to include my GPA? The key to adding course work to your resume is to ensure it is relevant to the position you are applying for, and best showcases your skills and abilities.

Part 1

Identifying Your Relevant Course Work

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   Understand why you should add course work to your resume. Mentioning course work on a resume gives potential employers an idea of the relevant knowledge and proficiency you have acquired and any knowledge you are working towards in your current studies. You should only include course work on your resume that applies to the job you are applying for, as this will show the hiring manager that you understand the job or position and have the necessary skills to do the job.

   • Most employers will look at your course work to get a sense of your level of expertise in a certain field or on a certain subject. Recent graduates looking for a job or current students looking to build their resume through an internship should always include relevant course work on their resume. Your course work could make up for your lack of hands on experience in the industry.
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   Make a list of all educational degrees and completed course work. Start by making a list of all your education degrees and all course work you completed in your degree. This will ensure you do not forget any classes you have taken and have a larger sense of your educational background. You can then whittle this list down to focus on more relevant course work for the position. List the main degree earned first, followed by any specializations, the university where you earned the degree and where the university is geographically located. For example:

   • Masters of Business Administration, Specialization in Marketing, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.
   • Certificate in Dental Hygiene, Specialization in Dental Cleaning, Hudson Community College, Hudson, New York.
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   Note any degrees or courses you are currently enrolled in or in the process of completing. Maybe you are in the process of completing your master’s degree or have just started a training course. Always list any in process course work and note the planned completion date of the course or degree. For example:^[1]

   • Masters of Business Administration, Marketing, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island. Anticipated completion: June 2017.
   • Certificate of Computer Coding, Hudson Community College, Hudson, New York. Anticipated completion: June 2018.
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   Be honest about your course work. Once you list all full educational background and course work, it may feel a little light or thin in relation to the position you are applying for. However, it’s important not to lie or fabricate course work on your resume. Your employer may ask you about this course and you may then be in a position where you have to be dishonest in your interview. This could then lead to not getting the job due to references that do not confirm your false education.^[2]

   • Rather than try to put false course work or credentials on your resume that you in fact did not earn, use any advanced courses you completed during your degree to bolster your resume. Focus on enhancing the degrees and course work you have earned, rather than representing yourself falsely to potential employers.
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   Select the courses you feel pertain to the job you are applying for. Look over the detailed list of your educational history. Consider what courses would apply to the position or job you are submitting your resume for. Do not list every course you have taken or every degree you have. Instead, tailor the education section to the position and only choose the most relevant courses.^[3]

   • If you are a communications major, for example, applying for a social media internship and you have taken some social media communication classes, those would be considered relevant. But if you are an Engineering major applying to work at a pizza parlor, most of your classes are likely not relevant and do not belong on your application for that job.
   • Keep in mind your core degree may not feel relevant, but courses taken as part of the degree or as an elective during school could show the employer you have the necessary skills for the job. For example, if you are seeking a position at a company in Human Resources then having a major in Human Resources, with courses taken on finance and payroll, may make you a suitable fit for a role such as Compensation and Benefits in the Human Resources department.

Part 2

Adding Relevant Coursework to Your Resume

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   Create a separate section for your education on your resume. List your education details before your work experience if your education feels stronger and more relevant to the position.

   • Title the section: Relevant Education and Course Work.
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   List advanced degrees or courses first. Standard resume formatting is to list the most recent courses or degrees you have received and then continue the list in chronological order. But, if you have an older course that is more relevant to the position, or shows you have more advanced skills in a certain field, list these first. This will show the employer your relevant credentials up front.

   • For example, you may have earned a degree in English, but are now studying graphic design at your local college. If you are applying for a position at a graphic design firm, list this educational experience first, before your English degree.
   • You do not need to list the course number for each course, as the employer likely has no idea what these numbers mean. Keep the list of courses short and concise.
   • An example degree and course work listing on your resume may look like:
     
     

     Bachelor of Science in Genetic Engineering
     Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
     Expected completion date: 05/2017
     Relevant Course work: Lab Testing & Reporting, Genetic Manipulation, Social Implications of Genetic Engineering.
     
     

   • Another example for a course, rather than a degree, might be:
     
     

     Advanced Studies in Marketing and Advertising
     Hudson Community College, Hudson, New York
     Expected completion date: 05/2015
     

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   Include honors, rather than graduation dates. You should only list graduation dates if you are a recent graduate, one to three years out of school, or if you are in the middle of completing a degree or course. The potential employer will be more interested in the degree, not when your earned the degree. This is especially true if you earned your degree five to ten years ago, as you don’t the employer to think your education is stale or outdated.

   • It’s also not necessary to list your final GPA for a degree or course, as most employers will not notice the score. But if you graduated with high honors, such as summa cum laude or with honors, make a note of this in your resume. The reviewer of your resume will see honors and be suitably impressed.
   • An example might be:
     
     

     Bachelor of Science in Anthropology, Graduated with Honors
     Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec
     Relevant Course work: Advanced Topics in Social Anthropology, Research and Investigation, Advanced Studies in Ancient Cities.
     
     

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   Use internships and volunteer positions to enhance your course work. If you feel your resume is still light on relevant course work for a position or job, include any relevant volunteer experience or in the field experience in the form of an internship or an apprenticeship. This could be college related volunteer work with an organization you completed in your final year of school, or an internship with an organization that relates to the position you are applying for.

   • For example, if you are applying for a position at an aerospace engineering firm, you may list your internship at an aerospace research facility. Or, if you are applying for a social media position at a marketing company, you may list volunteer experience as the social media director at a local festival.